Our Story....Part 2

*If you missed part 1, you can read it here.

When I had decided that I would not be coming back to school after Christmas break, I had NO idea that I was going to be reunited with Hubs. If I had, I am sure that I would have decided differently! Even though I didn't like going to school there after all, and I couldn't really afford to continue going there, getting to see Hubs all the time would have been well worth it!

However, I had already decided to move back home (although while I was away, my parents had moved back to the town I grew up in) and get a job, as I didn't feel that this college thing was for me. I was now on much better terms with my parents, and I missed my family terribly. Living ten hours away from them had gotten old fast.

So, I told Hubs that I was going to be leaving Virginia shortly, and that I would not be coming back. We agreed that we didn't really know where this was going to go, but that we would just enjoy the ride.

During those two weeks, I got to know Hubs in a totally different way. When I had known him before, he was not a Christian. Sure, he went to the same Bible study as I did, but that was all. Now, he had committed his life to the Lord, and was following Him with his whole heart.

I could see the change in him, and I liked what I saw.

He took me to his church, and introduced me to his friends. I got to know his family. Hubs and I spent every spare minute that we could together. He would drive almost an hour, each way, just so he could see me.

I really grew to love Hubs (well, as much as one can in two weeks time!) and decided that I would tell him that.

He had decided that he would come and visit me and my family over some of the Christmas break, and stay until after the new year.

As we were saying goodbye for the last time in Virginia, I hugged him, and I said those three words that are the scariest words in the English language to say to someone. I said, "I love you".

Do you know what Hubs said to me?

Absolutely nothing.

Nothing! I was NOT expecting that! I seriously thought that he was feeling the same way. I thought that he would say, "I love you too", and we would both feel all mushy gushy and lovey-dovey towards each other.

Instead, there was a long pause, where the only sound I could hear was the wild beating of my own heart.

Can you say, awkward?

Well, after that, I really had no idea what to expect from this so-called "relationship" that I thought we were in. I fought back tears, and told him goodbye. I was mentally kicking myself. I had just said "I love you" to a person who did not say it back! Why, oh WHY did I think I should say it first? I should have waited for him to say it to me! That would have been a sure thing.

I was sure that I had just ruined everything by saying I love you too soon. He was probably headed for the hills, and I would never hear from him again.

Yes, I realize that it may have been a tad bit early in our relationship to say I love you, but I am not a person that likes to beat around the bush. I pretty much wear my heart on my sleeve, and I really thought I was getting all the right vibes that he just might love me too.

I packed my stuff, and headed for home.

I was now pretty sure that either:

1. He wanted to take it s-l-o-w

2. He wanted to be "just friends"

If option #2 was more what he had in mind, I wasn't sure that I would be able to do it.

This was one guy I didn't want as just a friend...

Spring Is In The Air Hodgepodge

1. The first day of spring is here...do you enjoy working in the yard? Weeding, raking, mowing, planting-your favorite springtime garden chore? How about your least favorite?

I enjoy working in the yard....sometimes.

My favorite garden chore is watering the plants. Although, if it was totally left up to me, our plants would probably die. I am not that great about remembering to water them.

Thankfully, I married someone who loves working outside, and takes great pride in our yard. I never have to beg him to mow the grass, and he wouldn't even dream of letting the grass grow so tall that it goes to "seed".

My least favorite thing? Weeding.



2. What puts a spring in your step?

When I have something exciting that I am working on, usually some sort of project. I am always an eager starter to something, but when it ceases to be fun, my spring has sprung. Ha!

3. Describe a time when you had to spring into action?

Any time that one of my girls has been in some sort of trouble. Like, when my oldest started choking on a pretzel. Or, when my middle daughter had her forehead gashed open. Or, when my youngest had a seizure when her fever spiked too high.


4. We're having carrots for dinner...would you prefer yours raw or cooked?

I like my carrots raw, dipped in ranch dressing.

5. Do you take the shampoos and other sundries from your hotel room when its time to check out?

I take them, but not for myself. I never use those things, unless I have forgotten my own from home. I take them for Hubs. He is not picky, and will use anything.

6. What's the most enjoyable team or club you've belonged to and what was it that made it so?

It's not really a team or a club, but we belong to a local homeschool co-op. It allows the girls to be able to hang out with other homeschool kids, and be involved in some fun classes.

I enjoy it because I have been able to meet some other Moms that are in the same boat as I am. I have developed some deep friendships, and have been given encouragement just when I have needed it most.


7. Is cloning a sign of progress?

Yes, but I don't think that it is a good idea.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I promised in a previous hodgepodge, that in March, I would share how Hubs and I met, and ended up getting married. It's kind of a long story, so I am writing it in parts. Want to read the first part? Go here.

Our Story

First of all, let me tell you that we made it home safely from Florida. My lack of posting does not mean that we are dead in a ditch somewhere. My lack of posting is simply because of the sheer fact that this Mama is just feeling a little overwhelmed!

However, today is a VERY special day, and therefore, a post is in order!

Today, Hubs and I are celebrating our 18th anniversary. Now, when I say that today we are celebrating, this does not mean that we are actually "celebrating". We are not even in the same town for our anniversary! Hubs is having a very romantic dinner with another man from his company as we speak. Ha! Just kidding. It is strictly a business thing.

We did get to go out and celebrate our anniversary this past weekend. It's still kind of a bummer to not have Hubs around on our special day, but whatcha gonna do. It is what it is.

Anyway, in a previous post, I promised that, in March, I would tell you all how Hubs and I met, fell in love, and got married. So, here we go...

I was fifteen years old at the time. My family and I lived in Maine, and we attended a Bible study at a friend's house. We had been attending this Bible study for a little while, when Hubs started coming. It was kind of strange that he started attending, because this Bible study was being held at his friend's house, but his friend did not attend. For some reason, Hubs wanted to attend.

So, we got to know each other on a friend basis. I thought Hubs was the best thing since sliced bread, but since he was three years older than I was, he just thought of me as a nice kid, who had a nice family that he liked to hang out with.

Hubs' parents are divorced, and he did not grow up with his Dad. After he graduated from high school, Hubs decided that he wanted to move down to Virginia so he could be near his Dad and get to know him better.

I was pretty sure that I would probably never see him again.

But, God had other plans.

Fast forward almost four years....

I was nineteen years old, and I was attending Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Here is a picture of me in college. Try not to be jealous of the hair.

I had decided to go there because I knew a friend who attended there, and it seemed like a great school. It was also a fair distance away from my family, and at that time in my life, that sounded like a good idea.

It was Dec. 5th, and I was attending a basketball game with my roommates.

It was half-time, and we were up walking around, stretching our legs. As I was walking around, I saw this guy who I thought looked a lot like Hubs.

I thought about going up to him and asking him if he remembered me, but I was trying to talk myself out of it. It just sounded too....I don't know. Just not me.

However, I decided that I would do it. What could it hurt?

So, I went up to him, and asked him if he was, indeed, the boy I knew from Maine. I called him by his nickname. He just looked at me with the strangest expression on his face! Remember, the last time I had seen him, I was a fifteen year old "kid". Now, I was nineteen.... and no longer a kid.

Ahem.

I told him who I was, and asked him if he remembered me.

He told me that he did, and asked WHAT I was doing HERE?

I told him that I went to school here, and was watching the basketball game. He mentioned that he lived about an hour away in a neighboring town. He was there with his Dad, and he just so happened to have an extra seat next to him. He asked me if I wanted to come and sit with him so we could catch up on what had been going on in our lives the past few years.

Just the fact that he had an extra seat next to him was a minor miracle, because that place was PACKED.

I told my roommate that I was going to go and sit with him, and we spent the next half of the game catching up.

We do not consider our meeting again a mere coincidence. We believe that it was God who brought us back into each other's lives.

His Dad invited me over to their house, and I gladly accepted.

While I was at their house, the funniest thing happened to me. I had to use the bathroom, and while I was sitting there on the toilet, one of the bathroom drawers mysteriously OPENED UP and a tiny little furry head POPPED out at me! I screamed and got out of there as FAST as I could! All I could think of was that it was a mouse!

Do you know what it was?

It was their pet ferret, Bandit. Apparently, Bandit liked to hide in the bathroom drawers, and scare the heck out of unsuspecting house guests. Mission accomplished, Bandit! The whole family got a big laugh out of it, and it is brought up often to this day. I will never be able to live that one down. Sigh.

Anyway, Hubs drove me home that night, and invited me to church with him the next morning. I went back to my room that night, and called up my parents. I told my Mom that she was NEVER going to believe who I was going to church with in the morning! She couldn't believe it, and said that she thought that he was engaged, as that is what we had heard through the grapevine. I happily told her that, NO, he was not :)

So, Hubs and I saw each other as much as we could during the next two weeks. Why only two weeks? Because, I was leaving school for Christmas break.....and I was not coming back.

To be continued....

That's OK

It is Friday. Do you remember what I told you was supposed to happen today? Hmmm....do you?

Mr. Repair Guy (MRG) was supposed to call today, and come by to fix my refrigerator. What time do you think he showed up? Take a guess...

He didn't.

Yes, folks, that is right. He DID NOT show up. I stayed home ALL day for nothing. I desperately needed to go to the grocery store too, to buy.....well.... groceries.

Quick question for all of you: Do you say "grosseries" or "grosheries"? I say it like this: grosheries. I am probably wrong. However, I don't care. It just sounds weird if you pronounce it "grosseries".

Anyway, I did not receive a single call from MRG. And, as luck would have it (not that I believe in luck, it's just a saying y'all) my freezer is now flashing "de" again, which I now know means that something is not right with the defrost heater.

If I have to throw away any more food, MRG, I am going to be one mad woman!

I probably won't actually yell at him like I want to, and ask him WHY he couldn't just call and say that he wasn't coming today. From our last conversation, he made it sound like the part would be in on Friday, and he would be over to install it on....Friday.

Since my Mama taught me to be polite, I will probably just smile sweetly at him and say,"Oh, that's OK", when really....it's not. Do any of you do that too? Tell people it's OK, when it's really not? Or, am I the only one? I don't like confrontation. I avoid it like the plague.

In other news, I am going on day 3 of a horrendous headache. Now, headaches are nothing new to me. I have had them all my life. However, I have not had one this bad in a long time. It is a tad bit better today, but yesterday, it felt like my head was going to literally explode.

Whenever I have a headache that is that bad, I am always afraid that I am going to have an aneurysm. My dear friend's mother died from one when she was around my age, and it just freaks me out. I have taken so many Excedrin and ibuprofen that it is just ridiculous. And still it lingers on. Sigh...

It could be from the humidity that we are experiencing now here in Florida. Even though I haven't left the air conditioned house, I guess my head can still feel the difference in temperature.

So, I stayed home instead of going to Hubs' softball game with him and the girls tonight. I told him to hit me a homer. For all of you non-sports folks out there, that means I want him to hit a home run for me. He can, and he has many times before, so I know he can do it :)

I also made him out a list so he could go grocery shopping for me. I just gave him a short, abbreviated list, because it would take him a sweet forever to get EVERYTHING that we need.

Since I am the one that normally does the shopping, he is just not that familiar with where things are located in the store. He also likes to get brands that I do not buy. I am kind of a brand snob when it comes to food. I will wear non-name brand clothing, but DO NOT buy me generic yogurt or peanut butter.

Also many of the generic food contains some form of gluten. Case in point, generic chicken or beef broth. It contains wheat! Wheat is of the devil....well, it is if you have Celiac disease anyway. Wheat + Celiac disease = Misery.

So, I am laying down on the couch at home, praying for some relief from this horrid headache that doesn't seem to have an end. Since we have a busy weekend planned, it is not a good time for me to not feel well.

For us, this will be a weekend of goodbyes. We are headed home next weekend. Though it is sad to have to say goodbye to family and friends, we are all ready to be home. Two months is a LONG time to be away.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Ice Ice Baby

I know that you all have just been dying to know what is wrong with my refrigerator. Well....not MY refrigerator. As far I know, MY refrigerator is still fine and dandy, just like the day I left it almost two months ago. I mean the fridge in this rental house. But, since it does contain my food, I consider it to be MY refrigerator. I just don't have to pay the repair bill.

After Mr. Repair Guy showed up, we found out that the defrost heater is broken. I didn't know such a thing even existed. He mentioned that I was probably too young to remember when we had to defrost them ourselves. Oh, you flatter me MRG (Mr. Repair Guy). He thinks I am younger than I actually am.

For your information, MRG, I in fact DO remember when we had to defrost them ourselves. I have scraped a freezer or two in my day. Good times.

He told me that I would have to "manually" defrost the freezer, and by that, I just had to move the freezer button all the way down, which would put it into defrost mode. Certainly beats the old days, where one had to take a chisel to scrape off all the ice!

Apparently, there was an ice blockage since the freezer had not been doing its job, and defrosting itself. Who knew? It's not like there was a gigantic build up of ice covering every surface of the freezer or anything. The fridge just stopped working. Period.

MRG told me to go and buy big bags of ice, and transfer the food from the freezer to the cooler filled with ice.

I was to keep the freezer in "defrost mode" for 3-4 hours, and then flip it back on. This is just a temporary fix, until the new defrost heater comes in.

So, off I trekked with my oldest daughter to the local gas station to purchase two bags of ice. This is the same gas station where I went with the same daughter a few weeks ago to purchase some pop for a party we were going to.

At that time, the adult male Indian cashier asked me if "she" (pointing to my oldest daughter) was my daughter. I said "yes". He then proceeded to inform her and I, that she was so beautiful and that she looked just like an angel! He told us that in his country, she would be a movie star.

While very flattering, this totally creeped my oldest daughter out.

Hello...she IS only 15 years old.

It sort of scared me, because I have watched too many movies about what can happen to beautiful girls. Ever seen the movie, "Taken"? I have! THAT is precisely why I don't watch those kinds of movies.

I may never allow her to leave the house again.

Anyway, since we had to go back to this gas station, my daughter informed me that she was leaving her sunglasses on, and I should do the same. That way, they may not recognize us. Since I am not a movie star, and therefore can't see very well indoors with my sunglasses on, I took mine off. Lucky for us, Mr. I-like-to-compliment-underage-girls-and-creep-them-out, was not working that day.

So, we trudged home with our bags of ice, and proceeded to empty the freezer of all of its food. I tried to keep the ice cream and popsicles cold, but since I only had one cooler, I could not. Alas, I had to throw away the girls' cookies and cream ice cream. My daughters wanted to keep it, but since I could squish the carton, and the contents inside almost resembled a milk shake, I thought it would be best to just throw it out.

I also had to throw away an entire package of hamburger. It may have been all right to eat, but my motto is, if in doubt, THROW IT OUT! I would rather accidentally throw away something that might be good, than suffer the consequences of eating something that has gone bad. Have you ever had food poisoning? No? Well....I have. Not pretty, folks. Not pretty.

The fridge is now working, temporarily at least, until tomorrow when MRG comes back with the new part. I'm sure it will be sometime between 8 and 5. This means that I will get up at the crack of dawn, and wonder all day just exactly when he will be arriving. I will spend all day worrying and waiting, afraid to even go to the bathroom, for fear he will arrive at that exact moment.

Only for him to arrive at 4:45 p.m.

When It Rains, It Pours

As Hubs was getting ready to go away for business, he told me to make sure that there weren't going to be any problems while he is away.

What made him say that?

Well...it seems like something ALWAYS goes wrong when he is away.

Here is a short list of things that have happened in the past while he has been away:

*Transmission went out on the van

*Toilet broke

*Dog became sick, and had to be put to sleep

*Bunny died

*Water damage to the basement

*Problems with the furnace

*I had to have surgery, and he was required to come home early

....just to name a few

Now, we can add to this list, the phone doesn't work, and neither does the refrigerator.

AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!

I tried, Hubs, I really DID try. It just seems like everything waits to go wrong until you leave.

Sigh....

Honeymoon Island

Every weekend while we are here is sort of like a vacation. So, we try to do something special with the girls that we wouldn't normally do while we are at home.

Last Saturday, we went to Honeymoon Island.

Sounds romantic, doesn't it?

It used to be a place that was perfect for weddings and honeymoons. Now, it has been turned into a state park.

There are many things to do on Honeymoon Island. You can rent bikes, pedal cars, canoes or kayaks, or even take a guided tour around the island.

Or, you can do what we did, and go to the white sandy beach, and venture off exploring on your own.

It was a perfect day to go the beach!



The water was a bit chilly, so we just dipped in our toes.

We saw many interesting sights, like this. See that man under the striped umbrella? We like to call him, "Speedo Grandpa". Ha! We also saw some women wearing bikinis who should have just stuck with a nice one-piece. They definitely could have been featured on the show, "What Not To Wear". Where are Stacy and Clinton when you need them?



Here are the girls working together to build a sandcastle. Awww....isn't that sweet? Lucky for me I didn't take a picture of them fighting, and then soaking each other with water. The youngest did not have a bathing suit on, so she had to walk around in wet jean shorts the rest of the day. Of course, this meant that we had to listen to her complain about how uncomfortable she was. That would have been a real Kodak moment for sure. Sorry I missed it. Just keepin' it real, folks...



Hubs took the girls to walk on the walkway. Where is Mom, you ask? Why, she is sunning herself on the blanket while reading her Nook, next to Speedo Grandpa and two (very loud) giggly teenagers in teeny tiny bikinis. They were nice enough to play music for all of our listening pleasure. Their favorite song was, "We Found Love" by Rhianna. Ask me how I know...



Love this shot!

The girls walking on the beach, looking for shells.



This picture reminded us of Maine.

They have a "hands on" nature center that you can visit for FREE where you can learn more about the island.

Here is a picture of one of the pelicans we saw. I didn't take a picture of the other one, because, well....it was dead. I didn't want to traumatize any of my readers....

We walked on one of the nature trails, and learned that wild cactus grow in Florida. I thought cactus only grew in the desert? Guess I was wrong. These were all along the trail, and if you weren't paying CAREFUL attention to where you were walking, you may have accidentally stepped on one. Since we were wearing flip flops, I turned into the nagging mother, warning the girls every so often to PLEASE be careful. I didn't want to ruin our trip by having to stop and pick cactus spines out of their feet.



Here is a lone kayaker out in the water.

There was an observation deck, complete with a telescope, where you could look out and observe nature.


Before we left, Hubs and I had to sneak in a quick kiss

After all, we were at Honeymoon Island.....